I love the 80s. I grew up in the 80s. This show is about growing up in the 80s and it is rad. This is a retelling of the childhood of Adam F. Goldberg the creator of the show as he grew up in the 80s and his obsession with filmmaking and recording everything with his camcorder. The early seasons for this show were quite interesting and remarkable, however as the series tears on it has grown a bit stale relying on an 80s stereotype for each episode.
Grade: B-Category Archives: 2021
The Resident
There are a lot of hospital dramas on TV. I think I watch them all…well almost. This show follows a resident at a hospital that needs a lot of changes to make a more ethical place and he is bent on making that happen. It is a new way to approach a medical drama and it serves well for the genre. I like the show and the many characters that weave in and out of the plot.
The Good Doctor
Freddy Highmore plays a new surgical resident with Autism in this ABC medical drama. Another British actor playing an american. I like this show and the light it puts on people with disabilities and unique circumstances. However at times it does border on exploiting those same people. The action centers on the choices the main character makes and those around him as they all deal with his autism. In a sense this is Doogie Howser but instead of age the conflict is autism.
Grade: B+
Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue
Another in the Gold Rush franchise. Freddy has been around since the early seasons of the original Gold Rush as a minor (miner?) character. He is an expert in Gold recovery along with his expert fabricator Juan Ibarra, they head out to struggling mines and help them make the most they can with what they have. A very interesting show and perhaps the best in the franchise.
Grade: A
Shark Tank
This show has been on for over 10 seasons and it has made lots of money for the sharks but it has also made lots of money for the entrepreneurs and ABC. It is what it is, a commercial for the stuff the sharks buy. It is interesting to see how this kind of business is done, but if there is something of substance to watch, I watch the substance instead. There are good things about this show: taking those who have nothing and making something out of them. There are also bad things: Greed. Every shark has shown greed on this show, but the worst is Kevin O’Leary, the so-called Mr. Wonderful. But if I had the chance to show an invention on this stage I would do so.
Grade: C-
Gold Rush: Whitewater
In my previous post about the original Gold Rush show I mentioned that it has all levels of miners, this version is miners of all ages that are new to this kind of mining. They mine in raging raging cold water that is storming down mountains. It’s dangerous and exciting. A father son duo who have a disconnected relationship work together and apart to find gold at the bottom of the stream. Fun show but not as good as the original in the franchise.
Grade: B-
Penn & Teller’s: Fool Us
I not only enjoy Penn and Teller for their magic, but for their stance on several topics that are not appropriate for polite conversation. This show is a chance for magicians to highlight their best tricks and help them get out there. The gimmick is to fool Penn and Teller on how the trick is done. Penn has said on his podcast, Penn’s Sunday School, that the idea of them being fooled was secondary to them and showcasing the talent was the main goal, however now the magicians are very interested in showing their skill and fooling the duo. This is a fun show and if you have an interest in magic it is even more fun, or as my 4 year old would say, “Funner.”
Grade: B+
Star Trek: Discovery
I’ve been watching this show since it came out and have been watching Star Trek since I could remember. This show is the most adult version of this brand ever: they even swear! A space ship has new technology to jump from place to place as opposed to traveling there. They are just there and this is before the time of Kirk but it does have Spock at least the first season. Some of the episodes are full of too much dialogue and not enough action. Not action like fighting and explosions, but they talk about doing as opposed to doing. I like this show, but it is not the best Star Trek show.
The Rook
Olivia Munn from G4’s Attack of the Show brings The Rook to Starz. This show should be called Attack of the Mutants. An agent from a highly secretive supernatural british government department has been wiped of her memory and is on a mission to find out why and get justice. This show is pretty good but at times gets to convoluted and hard to follow, however overall I like this show.
Hell’s Kitchen
Red versus Blue. Men versus Women. Gordan Ramsey versus 16 cooks. High class dining at high stakes. A cooking competition to earn a chef’s job at a 5 star restaurant. This is one of the first successful food reality competitions. It’s a good show but if there is something else on, I usually watch the other.